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Over breakfast this morning, Veronica and I were discussing eggs and how it’s funny that some people are SO particular about how their eggs cooked, or rather how they perceive them to be perfect. There’s scrambled, sunny side up, over easy, poached, hard boiled, soft boiled and if you are more particular- over medium, sunny side up but with the yolks cooked through, well done, whites only, fried in butter, olive oil or coconut oil.. I’m sure the list goes on..

My first dish I ever learned, age 7, was what I called ‘egg in toast’ but what is more commonly referred to as ‘egg in a basket’. Toast with a hole cut out with my favorite collector’s cartoon jam jar and then an egg fried in the middle. Since then one could say that I have a soft spot for eggs, as a breakfast choice, their countless culinary applications and addition to any meal, savory or sweet.

So.. how do most people like their eggs cooked?? And better yet, what might that tell you of a person? Might it describe their personality as average, adventurous, creative, annoying, inconsiderate or even optimistic?

I laughed when we talked about the bit from Julia Roberts 1999 classic ‘Runaway Bride’ where Julia’s character never could decide how she liked her eggs cooked when asked so she just went along with whatever the man who she was with ordered. Sunny side up, over easy, poached, whites only..

Honestly, I’m a straight scrambled or over medium kind of guy. I like the egg yolk to be runny but not so much that it is as thin as water and gets lost all over the plate with the disastrous chance of not having the proper vehicle to mop it up. Based on those particulars, I rate my egg personality to be particular and somewhat judgmental. Whenever I’m at ‘ye ol’ greasy spoon diner’, I now rest my culinary ego at the door and don’t expect more than over easy style eggs on this request but sometimes I am pleasantly surprised by the cook’s delivery or default. When I’m at home, I geek out to perfecting the eggs to just as I like them.

Look, I get the demands of a breakfast place- catering to a bunch of early morning, often hung over, hangry and otherwise particular customers that want their breakfast their way and in a quick manner. Well, when most breakfast establishments are working with a large cook surface with varying degrees of heat, multiple egg, pancake, omelette, french toast, crispy bacon, and eggs Benedict orders, it’s just a little hard to keep track of Susan’s request for over medium eggs on table 54. Give them a break!! If you don’t like it, cook eggs for yourself at home or better yet, open up your own breakfast joint and see how fast it takes for your mind to get ‘scrambled’ during a typical weekend breakfast shift. I love and respect a good old fashioned neighborhood diner and am 9 out of 10 times pretty darn happy and grateful for what I get.

As for me and scrambled eggs, well this is a whole different beast. I recall reading and watching a few bits with Gordon Ramsey (that British celebrity chef with a temper) saying how he judges his new cooks on how well they can make scrambled eggs. But I feel he is more critical on if they produce the eggs to his liking rather than their views.

Again, I like mine fluffy and buttery but I know some who like them more well done or even a little brown on the edges. Sorry, not sorry, Gordon..